


Group Home

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [115]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Foster Care, Gen, Group Homes, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Tony, Kid Bucky Barnes, Kid Clint Barton, Kid Loki (Marvel), Kid Peter Quill, Kid Steve Rogers, Kid Thor (Marvel), Kid Tony Stark, Past Abuse, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 23:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22135258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: Tony had moved around a lot but this home was by far the strangest he had been at.ORThe one where Tony has a new home and it's nothing like he expected.
Series: Avengers Shorts [115]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/271549
Comments: 42
Kudos: 646





	1. First Night

There wasn’t a lock on the outside of his door. That was not the first strange thing about this place but it was the one Tony fixated on. The new group home he was moving into was much nicer than the last one. The walls all looked like they had been painted in the last year, there was no trash just laying around, and there were no locks on the outside of the bedroom doors.

Tony almost wanted to ask about it but figured it might be a test, so he kept his mouth shut like he had been taught.

“This is your room,” said Phil, the house director, showing Tony a bedroom with two beds. 

Both beds were neatly made and though one side had books and paper on the desk, the other was blank, so Tony figured that was his side.

“You’ll be sharing with Starlord,” said Phil. “If you have any questions let me know. I know moving can be overwhelming, so you might not have any questions yet. Just let me know if you do. You’ll meet the rest of the boys at dinner I’m sure. They’re all outside playing right now. You can join them if you want but I understand if you just want to settle in. I’ll get you for dinner.”

Tony was relieved to be left alone. Moving day was always so draining. He didn’t have many belongings so packing and physically hauling it to a new place wasn’t bad but emotionally it stressed him out. He was thrown into a new environment with new people and new rules and he didn’t know what to expect. He had lived at his last group home for almost a year and the only reason he was moved from there was because he turned ten and that was the age that home cut off. So now he was in a long term home for boys of age ten to seventeen. But Tony knew it was just another place, it wasn’t a home.

Quietly, Tony put his neatly folded clothes away in the dresser. His last house had taught him to always have his clothes folded nicely. There were…consequences if his clothes weren’t folded neat enough. It didn’t take long, everything he owned fit in his old backpack. After that, Tony just sat on his new bed and waited. 

He waited for over an hour until Phil yelled up that it was time for dinner. Tony almost wanted to answer but yelling wasn’t allowed at his old home and leaving his room without permission always resulted in missed meals and being locked in that damn closet for the rest of the day – even if that meant the entire day because Tony had to go to the bathroom in the morning and forgot to ask permission. 

Tony hated the dark and he hated enclosed spaces.

As time ticked on Tony’s stomach began to cramp with hunger pains. They never got any easier. They hadn’t fed him breakfast before leaving – he was leaving, why would they feed him? And his social worker was late picking him up, so he missed lunch. He had really been hoping for dinner but Phil had said he would come get him when it was dinner and he hadn’t come to get him. Phil had yelled up the stairs but he hadn’t come to get him and Tony knew better than to leave without permission. Leaving without permission meant more punishment.

“Hey Tony,” said Phil, breaking into Tony’s thoughts. He had knocked on the door but Tony hadn’t responded.

“Oh, um, hello,” said Tony uncertainly, tears streaming down his cheeks from the hunger pains.

“You okay? You didn’t come down to dinner so I brought you some,” said Phil, setting a steaming bowl of stew on Tony’s bedside table. “Hey, why the tears? What’s wrong?”

“No-nothing,” stuttered Tony, swiping away the tracks on his cheeks.

“Okay,” said Phil. “I’d like you to tell me when you’re ready but I know we just met, so that may be hard. Would you like to know my expectations? Would that make you more relaxed?”

“Are expectations like rules?” asked Tony, tugging at the hem of his too large shirt.

Phil made a mental note to take the boy shopping later. Phil had been very lucky to have been raised in a well off family and had more money than he knew what to do with. He also had a very successful consulting company that he ran on the side that allowed him to start and run this home for boys. Each kids who came into his home Phil tried to make sure they knew they were wanted and cared for.

“Sort of,” said Phil. “There’s really only one rule here and that’s to be respectful. But the expectations are that you tidy up your room once a week, keep the bathrooms clean and the communal spaces nice, try your best in school and be home at the correct times. Generally that’s 5 on school days and ten on the weekends.”

“What’s the punishments if I break the rules?”

“The consequences will match what happened. We try for logical consequences around here. So if you willfully don’t tidy your room then it will be your job to tidy the room the next week.”

“What rule do I break that means I don’t get meals?” whispered Tony. He hated asking but Phil seemed like he was willing to talk and Tony didn’t want to find out by trial and error.

“We don’t use food as a punishment,” said Phil, sad but not shocked. He had seen the state Tony was in when he arrived. He knew what house he had come from.

“Can I – can I leave my room whenever I want?” 

“Yes. I ask that you respect the bedrooms of the other boys and not go in unless they give you permission but you’re not a prisoner here, you’re free to move about the house as you wish.”

“Hey Phil, Steve needs some help with his homework,” said a boy who was maybe a few years older than Tony with hair that was more brown than blond.

“Okay, let him know I’ll be down in a minute,” said Phil. “Thank you Starlord. Also, this is your new roommate Tony.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Starlord with a bright smile. “My real name is Peter but I like Starlord better, so I go by that.”

Tony nodded and Starlord left.

“Don’t forget to eat your stew,” said Phil, standing up from the bed. “There’s more downstairs if you’re still hungry and snacks are in the cupboard. Help yourself.”

That evening, after Tony had tentatively brought his empty bowl to the kitchen and gotten ready for bed, he crawled under the blankets of his bed and turned on his bedside lamp.

“Goodnight boys,” said Phil, sticking his head in and turning off the lights. “Don’t forget to set your alarm.”

“Night Phil,” called Starlord.

Tony said nothing.

After Phil had gone, Starlord turned on his side and faced Tony.

“Why do you have your lamp on?” asked Starlord.

“Why do you like to be called Starlord?” responded Tony.

“My mom used to call me that,” said Peter with a shrug. “Then she died from cancer and since my dad was never in the picture I got put in foster care. Phil’s the only one who has listened to me and called me Starlord. I like it. It reminded me of my mom.”

“You’re very open for a foster kid,” said Tony softly.

“Yeah, Phil has that impact on people. He also makes you go to counseling because he thinks everyone should have an outside party to talk to about stuff. It’s not bad, it’s actually pretty helpful.”

“What about school?”

“You’ve got options. Most of us go to the public school down the street but Phil also offers homeschooling with like, tutors and such for the subjects he doesn’t have confidence in teaching. You get to pick but he’ll probably give you a week to adjust before making you pick.”

Tony nodded. His new roommate was strange but better than the last guy, who was a scary guy who liked to assert himself. Tony knew there were all types of kids in foster care and everyone had a way of dealing with their circumstances. Tony had turned quiet and tried to go with the flow so no one would bother with him. Starlord, he supposed, had decided to be outgoing and try to make friends (probably so he would have people to protect him, safety in numbers).

“Well, good night,” said Starlord. “Are you going to keep that lamp on all night?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not really. Good night.”

“Night.”

For a long time after that Tony stared at the ceiling, thinking about the strange new home with his strange new roommate. It didn’t seem like a horrible place to live, but it was only the first night, so Tony would be waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s not like mattered anyway, this was all just temporary.


	2. First Full Day

Tony was the youngest in the house, he realized at breakfast. He wasn’t surprised but he wasn’t exactly pleased with the confirmation either. Still, Starlord was only two years older, so that wasn’t awful.

“So Tony,” said Steve, a boy who looked like a stick with blonde hair and was very tall. He moved as though he wasn’t used to his height and length of his limbs, which was probably true since Tony had seen boys go through growth spurts before at school. “What’s your story?”

Phil was in the kitchen making more food, which was why Steve asked the question. Phil got weird about them asking new kids their history without clear prompting. Steve had always thought it was a stupid rule and ignored it whenever he thought he could get away with it.

“I used to live at another home and now I live here,” said Tony shortly. “The end.”

“I’ve lived in three different homes,” said Clint a bit too loudly, not wearing his hearing aids. “My original home with my parents and brother and then when my parents got into a wreck and died I lived with my brother and our uncle, and then Barney ran away and I got moved here. So I beat Steve, he’s only lived in two homes.”

“Yeah, but I’ve lived in five homes, so suck it!” said Thor, a huge blond boy who was mostly muscles and seventeen. “And Loki has technically had six homes since he was adopted by our parents. Loki wins the most homes.”

“This is my ninth home,” said Tony softly.

“Holy shit, you win,” said Bruce with a grin. He was fourteen and had the mouth of a sailor.

“I usually do with the homes count,” said Tony with a shrug.

“Boys, time to get going for school,” said Phil, coming back in with his own plate of eggs and toast along with another plate of toast in case anyone wanted more. “The bus will be here in a half hour.”

Most of the boys got up and went to get ready while Tony remained seated, swinging his legs while he waited for Phil to tell him what he was supposed to do all day.

“Tony, today you have a meeting with Dr. Xavier,” said Phil when they were alone. “He’s a therapist. And we can talk about schooling. I know that you’re technically in high school but I’m not sure about a ten year old going to school with eighteen year olds. How would you feel about taking classes online?”

“Like, homeschooling?” asked Tony, tilting his head to the side.

“Sort of but your classes would be online with a teacher available for questions when you have them. Clint and Steve both do online school. Thor, Bucky, Bruce, and Starlord all go to the local middle and high schools.”

“Thor’s seventeen,” said Tony suddenly. “When does he move out?”

“When he turns 18 he will have to move out,” said Phil calmly. He knew that Tony wasn’t actually asking about Thor and was curious what was going to happen to him down the road, if he stayed here for long. “He will legally be an adult and I can’t have him living with minors. However we have talked about it and he will move into my home next door. I own both of these houses and use the one next door for those who age out of the system and have no place to go.”

“How long does he get to stay there?”

“Normally the boys who move there only stay during the holidays while they go to college or get jobs and save up for a place of their own. Thor will probably end up staying there for a couple of years while Loki stays here. He doesn’t want to move far from his brother.”

Tony nodded, wondering what it must be like to have a brother who cared for you so much that he was willing to stay close.

Phil smiled at Tony. He knew this kid was going to go places, so many places, and he was excited to be along with for the ride. It was going to be a long, bumpy ride, but worth it.

Tony got up and went to change into regular clothes. Starlord was running around, throwing things into his backpack.

“Hey, have fun today,” said Starlord while Tony sat on his bed and watched Starlord race about. “Clint is a hoot, so give him a shot. Also if Phil makes you see Dr. Xavier then you should take it seriously. Dr. Xavier is awesome. He can help.”

Tony rolled his eyes. Starlord was a lot.

When everyone had left for school and Clint and Steve were working on their classwork, Tony followed Phil into an office were a man in a wheelchair was waiting for them.

“Tony, this is Dr. Xavier,” said Phil. “Dr. Xavier, this is Tony. Tony, remember how I told you that you would be meeting with a therapist today? This is him.”

“Cool,” said Tony dully. “Does it matter where I sit?”

“Anywhere you like,” said Dr. Xavier with a kind smile. “Most people like the couch.”

To be contrary, Tony sat down on the armchair, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Phil quietly ducked out, closing the door behind him.

“Well Tony, you’re welcome to call me Charles if you like,” said Dr. Xavier. “Today I’m just going to get to know you a bit. We won’t be getting into anything much unless you like. So why don’t we start off with the first question. Why are you here? What do you hope to get out of therapy?”

“I’m here because Phil is making me, so I don’t really know what I want to get out of this,” said Tony. He didn’t really like strangers but Dr. Xavier seemed harmless enough.

“That’s fair,” said Dr. Xavier, not taking notes just yet, though he had a paper pad and pen resting lightly in his lap. “So why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Interests, things you think I should know right away, favorites or least favorites, things like that.”

Tony thought about it for a moment.

“I like math and science,” said Tony at last. “I’m very good at both. I don’t like to be handed things and I like cheeseburgers.”

“What draws you to science?”

“I like to fix things and make things work,” said Tony with a shrug. “Science does that.”

“You like to be helpful.”

Tony didn’t know how to respond to that statement but Dr. Xavier didn’t seem to be looking for a response and moved on to ask about how books Tony had read and enjoyed. The rest of their time passed and then Tony was done, walking out and Phil had lunch ready on the table. 

Tony spent the rest of his day in his room, reading his worn out copy of ‘Enders Game’. He had read it more than he cared to count. He didn’t even like the book that much, it was just comforting, like a well loved blanket or toy that Tony had never had.

“Hey Tones,” said Starlord, running into the room and throwing his backpack on the ground. “How was your day? School was great. We’re learning about geology, which means dinosaurs. Did you know that they have found poop fossils? Imagine! Poop that is in fossil form.”

“I mean, I guess if there are bone fossils then there could be poop fossils,” said Tony with a shrug.

“Right?” said Starlord, jumping onto Tony’s bed to join him. “So, do you want to get a snack? Phil always has something out for after school. I mean, Thor won’t even be back for another couple of hours because of football practice, so we’ll actually have a shot at getting the best snacks.”

Tony followed his roommate, a little in awe of him. Starlord seemed perfectly happy to just be spending time with Tony, not expecting anything from him, not even a response. As they sat at the table eating from a veggie tray, Tony thought that maybe he could learn to like it at this home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super in love with this one, but you win some you lose some. I want chocolate milk.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I have to go back to reality soon which makes me so sad.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
